Western Case Inc: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on May 16, 2017: Employee is replacing saw blade and suffers cut to index fin

At 11:30 a.m. on May 16, 2017, an employee was installing a new saw blade for a Tannewitz 4706PP vertical band saw. A coworker turned the machine off by activating the e-stop and the employee removed the existing blade guard and left to the in-house maintenance shop area to build a new guard. A few minutes later, the employee returned to take a measurement and his hand contacted the running blades, cutting his index finger. Hospitalization was not required. The injured employee sustained serious injuries, including but not limited to, deep lacerations, broken / fractured bones, tendon damage to right index, middle and ring fingers. Injured employee was hospitalized at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Moreno Valley where he underwent reconstructive surgery. Employer was cited the following Serious Accident Related citations: Title 8 CCR Section 3314(c). Prior to and during the course of the investigation, including but not limited to, on June 30, 2017 and May 16, 2017 employer failed to ensure that the vertical band saw (Tannewitz 4706P), located in the production department, was stopped and the power sources de-energized or disengaged, machine components blocked or locked out to protect employees from injury due to inadvertent movement during cleaning, servicing, unjamming and adjusting operations. The employer did not ensure that accident prevention signs or tags or both were placed on the controls of the power source of the machinery during the cleaning, repairing, servicing and adjusting processes. As a result on May 16, 2017 an employee sustained serious injuries when his right hand contacted the running blade of the vertical band saw (Tannewitz 4706P). The running blades of vertical metal cutting band saw. cutting band saw.

Incident on Sep 25, 2008: Employee lacerates arm while cutting plastic

On September 25, 2008, Employee #1, a direct employee, was working for his emplo yer, who manufactures various plastic products, mainly tool cases, using a blow molding operation. Employee #1's immediate supervisor instructed him to use a 4- inch Hyde Blade to cut off pieces of excess plastic from black tool case lids, m easuring 19 inches in length by 14 inches in width by 2 inches in thickness, on Line #1. At approximately 1:00 p.m., as Employee #1 was cutting away excess plas tic from the black lids, the blade slipped from his right hand and penetrated hi s left forearm. Employee #1 sustained a radial artery laceration to the left wri st and was taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance. The accident was reported to the Division on September 26, 2008.